Chapter 8 Eight
The next two days passed in a blur of normalcy for Danica. It was almost as if what had happened the night of her birthday and the day following had never happened—if only she didn't know better, that is. The images had haunted her dreams and waking hours, reminding her just how real it all was.
Mason also hadn't contacted her within the two days either. She wasn't quite sure if she was relieved or disappointed; after all, he had insisted he would help her prepare for her first change.
Her first change, it was the day of the full moon, meaning that soon, when the moon was high in the sky, she would become a wolf for the very first time. She had spent the day attempting to meditate and keep her thoughts off of it. Worrying wouldn't get her anywhere anyway. It most certainly wouldn't stop the change that was inevitable.
Most of the day, she had been dealing with jitters and a rapid heartbeat. She had also been getting cold sweats, despite not feeling sick at all. She chalked it all up to the upcoming change and accepted it as normal. After all, she had no idea what to expect since Mason hadn't kept his promise.
When the sun began to set and Danica's symptoms worsened, Mason finally made an appearance.
With too much haste, she rushed out, almost plowing him over. She didn't want Martha to see him and therefore claimed she was going over to Amy's as she rushed out.
"Hello to you too," Mason said cheerfully as he caught Danica before she hit him nose first.
Holding a finger to her lips, she ssshhhed him as she looked behind her to make sure Martha wasn't peeking.
"Come on," she hissed, grabbing Mason by the arm and pulling him along as she hurried to his jeep.
Too anxious and feeling out of sorts, Danica pulled her door open and hopped in, the door slamming behind her with a bang. Wincing, she gave Mason an apologetic look.
Mason, who had also gotten in on his side, studied Danica's face. "You alright? You don't look so good."
Letting out a long sigh, Danica shook her head.
"I haven't felt the best today. Cold sweats, chills, racing heart."
"Are you getting sick?" Reaching over, Mason placed a hand on Danica's forehead to check her temperature. "You don't feel warm." To be sure, he checked his forehead as well. "Yeah, no fever."
Confused, Danica furrowed her brow.
"Is this not normal before your first change?"
"No, not usually," Mason admitted. "With my first change, I felt normal the entire day until the change actually started," he continued. "Maybe everyone is different?"
She knew that he was trying to make her feel better with his last comment because, even though his voice sounded calm, she could sense the unease that was radiating off of him.
"Mason, please don't try to spare my feelings. Could something be wrong with me?"
"I don't know; let's just get to our destination and then see how it goes."
"Ok."
They arrived at the same clearing where Danica's 'birthday' party had been held just as the moon had begun to rise. Danica's symptoms had worsened along the way, and now she was feeling as though her head was going to split along with everything else that had been plaguing her the entire day.
Concerned for her, Mason insisted on carrying her into the woods, where they would proceed with her first change. Too out of sorts to argue Danica had allowed it.
The pulsing warmth she felt from his arms as they wrapped around her helped her headache subside slightly, not enough to become bearable, but it wasn't threatening to make her pass out anymore.
"Is this where we are doing this?" Danica asked as Mason sat her on the ground against a tree trunk. "Is it far enough away so no one can accidentally see?"
"Yeah, this is fine. Please, if you get worse, let me know."
"What difference will it make?" Danica asked, closing her eyes and allowing her head to rest against the cool bark behind her. "Even if I do get worse, I can't go to a hospital now, can I?"
Mason's face darkened as a rumble sounded in his chest.
"I guess not."
He was handling her current condition worse than she was. That fact alone left Danica feeling some sort of way.
"How much longer til it happens?" she asked as another stabbing pain shot through her head.
"Should start any minute," Mason responded, taking a seat beside Danica and placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Just remember to try to keep calm and not fight it when it does happen."
Danica nodded as she felt her heart pick up its pace. The feeling made her think of a hummingbird's wings.
Forcing a smile, she tried to ignore the new pain that had begun in her body.
Screaming, she fell over onto her side as her insides began to feel like they were being stabbed by tiny needles.
Beside her, Mason began to move, attempting to help however he could.
She couldn't hear anything he was saying as her ears rang. More pain rushed through her, causing her breathing to become sporadic.
She could feel her body convulsing while her toes and fingers felt like they were breaking while they tried to elongate into claws. However, the claws never appeared, and the feeling of her bones breaking again and again continued.
Sensing something was off, Mason grabbed hold of her and began running back to his jeep.
"Mason..." she whispered as pain began to take over her entire being. "What's...."
She wasn't able to finish her sentence as another scream ripped out of her. The feeling of her bones breaking into pieces overwhelmed her as she fought to stay conscious.
'Not...right....' came the familiar voice from the night of the rogue attack.
"Who..." Danica rasped out as Mason reached his Jeep and began placing her in the backseat.
"You're going to be okay," he insisted as he gently laid her on the seat before quickly making his way to the driver's side of his vehicle and jumping in.
Slamming on the gas, he peeled out of the clearing and began making his way down a dark road leading directly to the middle of the woods.
In the backseat, Danica's body writhed and convulsed as pain ran through her again and again. She could feel her bones attempting to reconstruct themselves and form into her wolf, but as soon as they began to make progress, they reversed, and the process happened all over again.
"What's... happening.." She tried asking as Mason slammed on the brakes.
He didn't bother responding as he pulled the door behind her head open and hurriedly rushed to pick her up once again.
"Just hang on," he pleaded, rushing towards a small hut that sat in the middle of the forest. "You're going to be okay, I promise."
When he reached the hut, he forcefully began banging on the door while holding Danica against him with one arm.
"Who's there?" came a deep voice from the other side of the door after bang number three.
"OPEN UP, OLD MAN!" Mason roared, causing Danica to flinch in his embrace. "I'm so sorry," he said quickly to her.
She could hear the door before them opening just as her world of pain intensified. With an agonized scream, the world around her ceased to exist.